And Still More Self Indulgence

- Do yourself a favor and read the interview with Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the New York Times Magazine.  I love that woman.  She manages to both make the case for the importance of women being on the Court, while rejecting an essentialist view of women.

- This may be the first and last time you'll see me do this -- but I think I understand and will defend Sarah Palin's use of the term "Department of Law" the other day.  That is, in fact, what they call the Attorney General's office in Alaska and it is apparently staffed by bears with JDs, a scary thought for me -- those discovery disputes must be a bitch.  "Objection your honor, counsel is tearing my arm off!"  (Actually the web site seems to feature a revolving cast of animals native to Alaska -- which seems slightly strange.)

- I saw "The Hurt Locker" last night and found its minimalist, cinema verite depiction of the Iraq War to be pretty incredible.  My wife, on the other hand, threatened me with divorce if I take her to one more depressing small movie.  My previous two offerings -- Wendy and Lucy, depicting the travails of a homeless young woman searching desperately for her lost dog, and Goodbye Solo, which features suicide as a main theme,  Again, all three exquisitely made movies.  In the interest of domestic harmony, I have pledged to only to see movies featuring either Hugh Grant, Ryan Reynolds, or Sandra Bullock for the rest of the year, and preferably in which all of them appear. 

- I would suggest that Obama spend a couple of hours immersing himself in the Lyndon Johnson tapes and then emulate LBJ for the next week or two and push, threaten, flatter, and cajole the Democratic caucus so we can get a meaningful health care bill through.  Everything else should be on the back burner for a while.  

- The Washington Post ombudsman actually has a good piece today regarding the Post's aborted efforts at selling itself to corporate bidders.  Not surprisingly, shameless, nihilistic whore and alleged health care reporter Ceci Connolly was to be featured at the "salon" that was to be sponsored by Kaiser Permanente.  No conflict there folks -- nothing to see, move along.

- And for the last time, (and I think I speak for 99% of liberals here), I do not give a shit how many children Sarah Palin decided to have and I don't care in the least that she opted to give birth to a child with down's syndrome, -- her choices are her own and I can't imagine being "infuriated" by them or really giving them much thought at all. No, my objection to Palin is that she would deny others the right to make their own choices in these realms -- indeed, would, if she could, compel by force of law, that women not have the right to make such decisions .                   

Comments

[kathy a.]

i adore ginsburg. she is a hero.

i really don't understand why sarah palin needs any more attention. although, like you, i was surprised to learn that the alaska AG is housed in the state "department of law." states do have their own wacky traditions. prosecutors in SC are called "solicitors," for example. whatever. but someone who seeks a national presence [and is talking about what to do if trouble comes knocking at the white house] should know that calling on the "department of law" is not the correct answer. alaska doesn't love her *that* much; plus, there are jurisdictional problems with that hypothetical.

[Sir Charles]

kathy,

I really liked the pictures of the bears. Of course, I then figured out that the bears are only a sometime thing, which disappoints me.

I am waiting for the right wingers to take Ginsburg's comments about abortion -- specifically her reference to population control -- and distort that and run with it. I'm shocked it hasn't happened yet (or at least I haven't yet seen it).

[kathy a.]

ginsburg is bulletproof. they apparently weren't as organized when she was confirmed. lifetime appointment, baby.

my state flag has a bear. but my state AG's website only has the blind lady holding the scales.

[pain perdu]

a revolving cast of animals native to Alaska

Objection, your honor! Counsel is badgering the witness!

[Sir Charles]

The witness is ducking the question.

[kathy a.]

dog-nabbit, y'all otter to stop elking around with these fishy moose-pie excuses for humor.

[MR Bill]

There's walrus more time for Polar Puns...

[litbrit]

I'd be lion if I said I didn't love a good pun.

But all this horsing around must stop. Fur real.

[Corvus9]

Sir Charles, in case you haven't seen it yet...prediction fulfilled!* (via Yglesias)

*Wow, he and Colin Meloy really do look alike.